Work Matters: Net worth

Embarking on a course can mean learning new skills, meeting new people and developing a whole new way of thinking. Taking the angst out of this daunting prospect for increasing numbers of students is a weblog (blog).

'It took some time to get used to, but I found the blog a very useful tool,' says one Foundation degree student at Solihull College.

The college takes a 'blended learning approach' - that is, it offers courses with a combination of face-to-face teaching and out-of-class study. Course work is made available via a moodle, a Virtual Learning Environment. And that, in turn, is accessed via the weblog.

The weblog essentially acts like e-mail but operates on a formal and informal level, enabling one-to-one communications between student and tutor but bringing the added advantage of class discussions within a secure environment.

'Weblogs are becoming more common, but it's taken people a while to start using them and seeing the benefits of them, and some universities have moved more quickly with it than others,' says early years lecturer Jackie Musgrave, who was last year responsible for setting up the Solihull blog.

'One of the really important aspects of the blog is that it binds together students who may see each other only one day a week, as is the case with the Foundation degree.'

In the research methods discussion that she initiated last year, Ms Musgrave asked her students to make two contributions a week to the debate. 'Like at a party, the tutor can act as host and ensure that everyone joins in and is included by giving them that little nudge to participate,' she says. 'One student making a contribution encourages the others to join in.'

SUPPORT AND ADVICE

That familiarity then feeds into success in their studies. 'They get a lot of support from each other and can sort out a lot of issues with each other,' she continues.

That was the case with last year's study skills discussion, when students were able to help each other with referencing and the like. This was of particular use to mature students, who formed the majority of the Foundation degree class and were often unfamiliar with some course requirements.

A speedy reply from a fellow student saves time and lets students progress more quickly. Quick responses are particularly useful in the second year, when students can finalise proposals for their research projects via the blog rather than on weekly meetings with their tutor. 'You can waste a lot of time otherwise,' says Ms Musgrave.

Throughout the course, the blog debates offer constant challenges to students' thinking. 'The interaction and intercommunication that they experience helps to deepen their learning,' says Ms Musgrave.

Commenting on their experiences of the blog, the Foundation degree students reported that it 'offered reassurance and guidance', 'helped me understand some things I didn't at college', and 'helped me share ideas' and that 'I found it helpful to be able to generally get all my frustrations out of my mind.'

Summing up its benefits, one student says, 'The blog is really useful, as you do not feel alone. When you think everyone understands except you, you click on to realise everyone else is the same. I can rant, rave, get depressed, get hysterical, but most of all find support and help. It also gives you a chance to bounce off your ideas, draw from others' knowledge and expand upon it. It is an exceptionally useful tool and easily accessible.'

Students can use contributions to blog discussions as evidence in their summative assessments to illustrate how their lines of thinking has developed in the course of their studies.

A MATTER OF OPINION

At the outset, some students may be reluctant to voice their opinions on the blog. 'Initially, I was very apprehensive about sharing my thoughts in case people laughed or disagreed, but this was not the case. People respect each other,' says one student.

In other instances, students' willingness to voice their opinions brings challenges, as Ms Musgrave found when she invited HND students to debate the ethical issues surrounding babies with multiple needs.

Students have 30 minutes in which to amend or delete views that they think, on reflection, may be offensive. Once posted, it is then up to the tutor to intervene.

'In the case of the HND students, I pointed out that some of their views might be inappropriate and encouraged them to consider their views from a different perspective, such as that of the baby's parents.

'It was interesting how their views changed over the course of the debate. By the end they were saying "I started with black and white views but now I realise there are grey areas and no easy answers",' says Ms Musgrave. 'It was really powerful learning.'